


My Wielder

by Selithiel



Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Dwori - Freeform, M/M, Orwal - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-02
Updated: 2013-06-25
Packaged: 2017-12-07 06:06:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/745155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selithiel/pseuds/Selithiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After escaping from the Goblin King as well as Azog the Defiler, Ori finds himself returning Dwalin's hammer to him after having wielded it rather well. Each of them admire the other in their own way, but are quite unaware of it. As the barriers start to come down they find that they have a chance at growing and changing their relationship with one another throughout the course of their journey to the Lonely Mountain.</p>
<p>First chapter is rated as general, but this work will be mature.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Good Rest

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fan fiction that I have chosen to publish. This is in response to a prompt that I received, in which I was asked to write about Dwalin being impressed by how Ori wielded his hammer during the escape from the Goblin King. I've chosen to use that as the basis for starting the relationship, and from there on I'll be winging it. Feedback is welcome - please keep in mind that I have rped for ten years but have never seriously taken a stab at fan fiction. Naturally I'm tweaking certain aspects of the story at points, but hopefully everything will have continuity. First chapter is open to any ages, but following chapters will have mature content.

Chapter 1  
A Good Rest

Everything had been a blur. It all passed so fast, and yet now that Thorin and company were safely away from the dangers of the Goblin King and the orcs that followed it now felt as if it had been weeks. Ori wasn’t used to so much physical activity, and he wasn’t ever going to deny that. However, he was still in shape and so being this tired was a whole new world of hurt for him. Not to mention the flight on the eagles had been a little harrowing. Ori was more than happy to have solid ground under his feet – even if that ground was rather high up. Despite all of that he found that he still had Dwalin’s war hammer with him. He hadn’t even thought about it. He was certain that with how much his body ached he would have noticed that he still had it, but then again it also made sense that the adrenaline that kicked in had been more than enough to keep it in his grasp. The company was currently making their way into the cave they were going to be staying in at the Carrock, and so Ori would have to wait until then to return Dwalin’s hammer to him. Dwalin was at the head of the company with Thorin, and Ori had found himself towards the back after Dori had called to him. A part of him had almost said no, but he let himself hang back so that his brother could fuss over him and make sure that he was alright.

Dwalin was pleased that the cave was there. It was certainly a much better option than the one he dreaded – which entailed staying atop that rock for the night and perhaps having someone roll off to their doom. They’d had more than enough of that sort of danger for the day, and being grounded was something that he welcomed. He’d stood aside his brother Balin as well as Thorin while Gandalf went over some of the finer details of what they were going to be doing. Dwalin knew that he wasn’t the only one who wasn’t all too thrilled at the thought of Gandalf running off and leaving them to their own devices. It wasn’t that he doubted their own ability, but he also knew that they were going into territory that he was not too keen on visiting. He took a deep breath as he stepped away from the group. He didn’t have the patience at the moment to listen to any of this – not after the long day they all had. He went to his own little self-designated area and started to set up for the night. He was in the middle of putting out his bedroll when he heard Ori’s high pitched voice from behind him. Granted, there were no words – only stumbling and stuttering over words in an attempt to get his attention.

When Dwalin turned to face Ori it was if Ori shrunk a good foot or so in height, but Dwalin knew that wasn’t the case. He was used to Ori getting like this around him. It had happened before during their journey, as well as before that even. He worried at times that Ori thought he got irritated by it, when in all actuality he found it to be one of Ori’s charming little qualities. “What is it, laddie?” Dwalin asked, knowing that the sooner he said something the sooner Ori would feel more comfortable. He noted already that Ori had his hammer in his hands. He had known that Ori had it, but with the way everything had gone he honestly hadn’t thought to get it back from him. He was surprised though – Ori wasn’t setting it beside him. He didn’t have it trailing behind him on the ground or anything of the sort. He was holding its full weight (which was impressive in of itself) and in turn that meant he was respecting the weapon and its owner. He let a smile come to his eyes, but it did not reach his lips. 

Ori hated it when he got like this, but it just always seemed to happen. He had spent the day fighting wargs, goblins, and orcs… And yet here he was feeling disarmed by merely being in the presence of the taller dwarf. He took a deep breath, then held up the hammer to him. “I meant to get this back to you… I... Hope I didn’t do any damage to it.” Ori let out a nervous laugh at the end of his words, but he could see the smile in Dwalin’s eyes. It set him at ease, and at the same time he also noticed the bit of shock that had been there. It didn’t read as a bad thing, in fact it seemed to come across that Dwalin was impressed. Ori hoped so, but he wasn’t going to outright ask it. “Damaged it? I doubt that.” Dwalin rumbled as he took the hammer from Ori and looked it over, then set it down as he offered him a smile. “And even if you did, I don’t think I can fault you for lookin’ after yourself, you know.” The relief was clear on Ori’s face, and Dwalin could visibly see him relaxing even more. It was always nice, seeing his barriers come down, even if it was rare. If Dori wasn’t over his shoulder making him tense it was something else. He’d seen it since Ori was little – and perhaps that was why it bothered him to see Ori be so nervous around him.

Dwalin’s response set Ori at ease, but before Ori could really even reply Dwalin was speaking to him again. “Not to mention how well you handled it…” Dwalin mused whilst looking over his hammer. He looked back to Ori, then offered him another smile. He set his hammer down while he gauged Ori’s reaction to his compliment. It was sincere, truly. He hadn’t expected Ori to do half the damage that he did with it (if any). Instead Ori had managed to do quite a bit with it – even if he seemed clumsy in the process. Dwalin could tell that Ori hadn’t expected this compliment though, because at the moment Ori looked as flustered as ever. Despite that Ori was smiling. Clearly he was happy to have the feedback, and Dwalin was glad to hear him accept it. “Thanks… I just went with it.” Ori shrugged his shoulders lightly and let out a small laugh. He rubbed the back of his head, the smile on his face growing on his face (along with a red tint to his freckled cheeks). 

“Don’t mention it, laddie…” Dwalin stated as he clapped a hand on Ori’s shoulder before offering him a grin. “Well, go on then. Get your things and set up. We’ll be staying the night here.” Dwalin’s hand slid from his shoulder. He turned and continued to set up his sleeping area, and it was clear that the space beside it was left there for a reason. Ori was caught off guard by it. He had never expected that – he was used to just sleeping near his brothers usually, and that was just the way it went. “Right, of course.” Ori answered after a pause. He walked over to his things and gathered them up. His heart was caught in his chest, and he could feel that his face was heating up as he let himself think of the fact that he would be sleeping beside Dwalin that night. He couldn’t deny that it was something that he had wanted to do before on multiple occasions. There was an attraction there that was hard for him to ignore, but he doubted that the attraction went both ways. Especially for someone like Dwalin who could likely get anyone that he wanted with little effort.

“Better get over there before Dori gets here and starts asking why you’re moving your things.” Ori’s thoughts were interrupted when his brother Nori interjected. Ori looked to him, mouth hanging open for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts. He eventually nodded while taking note of the smile on his brothers’ face. Ori nodded, and then rather hastily finished gathering his things before he smiled back at his brother. Ori quickly went over to where Dwalin had set up, and once there he started setting up his own area beside him. That feeling in his chest was back, but he swallowed it down whilst telling himself that there was no reason for him to be nervous. Just to help Ori took a moment to take in a deep breath before releasing it, only to feel someone grab his arm and yank him down into a sitting position. Ori looked over, only to see that it was Dwalin who had done it. Dwalin was smiling at him. “Relax. Don’t fret over perfecting it, we’ll only be here a night or so I’m sure.” Dwalin told him, and complimented his words with a slap to Ori’s back.

“You’re right.” Ori got out with a nervous laugh – which was a sound Dwalin liked to hear. There was something about it that was cute. Of course Dwalin couldn’t say anything about it, surely someone like Ori would be interested in finding a sweet Dwarven lass someday (as hard as that may be). “Well, I don’t want to see you sitting there thinkin’ you aren’t any help to us now…” Dwalin didn’t mean to call him out on the issue, but he felt like Ori could use a bit of encouragement. There was no pretending that Ori didn’t need his confidence boosted, and Ori was well aware of it. “Of course not!” Ori retorted, hoping to make it clear that he was fine and didn’t need the reassurance. “I think everyone played a part in making sure that we got out of there alright… And I’m glad we all did.” Ori looked up at Dwalin as he pulled his knees to his chest. He rested his cheek on his knees and looked to the fire that was started, and was glad to know they’d be having one that night. No one lasted long that night anyway – everyone had been running on adrenaline and rest was much needed. It wasn’t long at all before everyone had passed out for the night. Before Ori gave himself to sleep he glanced to his side and saw that that Dwalin was already asleep beside him. A small smile crept to Ori’s face, and with that image in his mind he laid back against the floor and slept for the night with the certainty that he was going to get a full nights rest.


	2. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The company makes their way down the Carrock and stop by a river on their way to Beorn's home. Unfortunately for Ori, he isn't quite prepared to see so much of Dwalin.

The night had been overall temperate, and this was something Ori was thankful for. With the amount of supplies that had been lost, a comfortable sleep was not likely. Somehow it managed to be, and Ori got the best rest he had managed since their time in Rivendell. When he awoke he felt as refreshed as he was likely to get. He stretched and let out a rather relaxed sound before looking around. He jumped when he saw that Dwalin’s face was practically right next to his. He had forgotten all about the fact he had slept next to him that night, and it caught him off guard. He held his breath. He was so close, just right there. His fingers itched to touch, but he knew that he couldn’t – that he shouldn't. There was something about Dwalin’s face as he slept that was so disarming. Despite the loud snores that came from the larger dwarf, there was a peaceful look about him that Ori quite liked. The tattoos on his skin didn’t do anything to discourage the image, and in fact they made the urge to reach out and touch him all the more harder to resist. He took a deep breath. This was his best chance, surely. He looked about, and saw that no one else was up.

Ori looked back at Dwalin. His freckled cheeks were turning red as he reached over to Dwalin with a slightly trembling hand. He first slid his hand along the top of his head. His fingers traced over the tattoos and followed their designs. There was no sign of Dwalin waking, not with those snores at least. He was discovering scars he did not know were there, which surprised him from the amount of times that he had drawn Dwalin within his book. Ori pulled his hand back and rolled onto his stomach. In moments he had his book out. He wasn't sure that ink was the best choice… If he had to suddenly shut his book the last thing he wanted was for the ink to smear. This left Ori to a stick of charcoal, which he was perfectly fine with. He flipped to an open page that felt right, and for the next hour he spent his time sketching the dwarf beside him. He could normally sketch must faster than this, but he did not want to lose his chance to get all of the details of Dwalin’s face that he had not yet gotten before. Ori smiled at his sketch when he was done. Finally he had a full sketch of Dwalin to himself. He could feel the emotions inside him wanting to pour out. He wanted to wake Dwalin, and tell him everything. That couldn't happen though, and it wouldn't as far as he was concerned. The sketchbook was put away, and not a moment too soon it seemed.

Dwalin snorted as he awoke. He groaned and rubbed his face, then lowered his hand as he finished a yawn. The first thing he saw was Ori beside him. Ori was just lying on his stomach and staring at the cave wall. It seemed a bit odd to Dwalin, and yet he did not mind it. He had a chance to simply look him over and take note of the things that he had missed before. He smiled to himself when he saw the lavender ribbon in Ori’s braid. He remembered when Ori first started doing that long ago, and to see that he still was made him smile. Before he could be caught staring, Dwalin sat up and popped his back. He groaned and ran a hand over his head. He glanced to Ori again, then stood and started gathering his things. There was no need for Ori to see him spying on him. That along would be all too awkward. He knew that breakfast would be leftovers from what the Eagles had brought them, and that it would be cold. He’d dealt with much worse than that in his time, and so when everyone actually got up he ate the cold mutton like it was nothing. Dwalin was the first to be ready to go. It wasn’t that he wanted to just leave, but Gandalf had made mention that he was going to be leaving them soon. Deep down he knew that he just wanted to get his mind off of Ori for a while. He was thinking too much of him the previous night, and he didn’t need to let himself make that a habit.

“A bath? Good! Some o’ us need it pretty bad!” Bofur laughed from towards the back of the cave. “Especially Dori, if ya ask me.” Dwalin heaved a sigh. A bath? Sure they needed it, but couldn’t that wait? He shook his head as Dori’s shrill voice came from behind, and with that he looked to his side to see Thorin step up. “Can it wait?” Dwalin asked gruffly, only to be met with a look that made it clear that it was not going to wait. “We don’t know when we will get another chance, and I am not going through that wood listening to complaints from our burglar about the smell.” Thorin stated firmly. Dwalin knew that was the end of it, and so he conceded with a nod. “Well let’s get goin’ at least…” Dwalin started heading out of the cave. He took a moment to take a good look around, and then he glanced to the steps. He raised a brow, but thought little else of it. As soon as he was sure they could go he started heading down the steps of the Carrock. He listened as Gandalf made mention of it, but didn’t pay much mind as he spotted the river that would facilitate the bath for the company. It didn’t take long for the whole of the company to reach it, and before long Dwalin was grunting in dismay at the thought of taking off most of what he had just put on not long ago. 

Fili and Kili were the first ones into the water, and Dwalin shook his head as he let out a chuckle. They were wrestling already, and there were times that made him wonder. Dwalin wasn’t there to play though, and as soon as he got in the water he was washing himself. Normally he’d join in on the fun, but he had too much on his mind to bother with that at the moment. It seemed that just as he’d started to clear his head he was damned to have thoughts flood into it again. He had turned his head and caught Ori in his line of sight. His breath caught in his throat - Ori looked wonderful. His body was as he had imagined it. It wasn’t as if he had never seen Ori’s physique before, but he’d never had a good look like this. There was little muscle to speak of on Ori’s body, but it fit him perfectly. He could see everything down to his hips, and even just a bit past that. The water came up just below the top of Ori’s behind. Dwalin swallowed hard and looked up from Ori’s backside, only to see that Ori was looking over his shoulder at him.

Ori’s face had turned red faster than ever. It didn’t occur to him that Dwalin was looking at him – after all, why would he? But he was more than certain that Dwalin had caught Ori looking over his body. Because Dwalin was taller Ori had gotten a much better look at what Dwalin had to offer. It had been impossible not to stare, but now he had been caught and he had no idea as to what to do. Ori’s mouth hung open. He fought to say something. He needed to look away – anything! Yet there he was, frozen and staring with a beet red face that did nothing to absolve him of his guilt. All the while this only served to make Dwalin believe that he was the one who had been caught, and yet no words were said to remedy the situation. Ori’s heart was beating hard against his chest, and after what felt like forever he lowered his head and looked away. He stared down at the water, and in all truth he was panicking. He bit his lip tightly. What now? What was Dwalin going to think of him after seeing him stand there staring at him like a piece of meat? He felt sick. His knees were weak and everything started to spin. It was too much at once, and his hands went to his knees as he tried to steady himself. His stomach was doing flips. There was no way to keep up with the tumult of feelings he had, and before he knew it he was falling back into the water… Except it wasn’t water that met his back. Instead there were two thick arms around him and the warm and hard chest of a taller dwarf. Ori took a deep breath. That was the final straw – he passed out against him without another thought on the matter, and in turn left Dwalin standing there confused with Ori in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit short - but otherwise it risked being too long. Intended sexy times in the coming chapter. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up within a week. :)


	3. Friendly Lodgings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin and company arrive at Beorn's home and spend the night there to recuperate before they continue their quest. However, Ori finds that he is not going to have his room to himself.

The company was kind enough to not question Ori on what had happened in the river. Of course that was the company, and not Dori. The entire time they had been walking Dori was practically breathing down Ori’s neck. Ori knew that he had good intention, but right now the last thing he wanted was to be crowded. He felt utterly embarrassed by the whole thing. He knew he was the weakest of them all (or at least that was his own opinion of himself), and this situation was doing nothing to help that image. “I just don’t see why you can’t tell me Ori, it’s going to be fine!” Dori insisted as he walked alongside Ori. Ori was always patient with Dori and never thought ill of him, but if there was ever a time where his infinite patience was being tried it was right now. Between the embarrassment and anxiety of the whole situation Ori just wanted to walk by himself. He didn’t want company, he didn’t want to be spoken to, and he certainly did not want any manner of attention.

“Dori! Get over here - leave the lad alone!” Nori called from where he was towards the middle of the group while he looked back. Nori couldn’t help but chuckle at the face that his brother gave him for so blatantly telling him off, however Dori still came over after giving Ori a pat on the shoulder. “I just don’t understand why he can’t tell me what is going on… What if he’s hurt?” Dori held back a glare when Nori just chuckled. “I’m concerned too… But you know what? That isn’t going to help him any. Give him time and space, let him breathe. I’m sure he’ll talk to you about it later. Besides… He doesn’t need you slipping up and tellin’ him that Dwalin was the one who watched him until he came to.” While Nori normally enjoyed pushing Dori’s buttons, right now was not the time and he simply wanted the situation diffused. Obviously this worked because Dori mumbled some kind of acknowledgement and continued to walk with him.

All the while Dwalin was walking towards the front with Thorin. He found that he was still occupied with thoughts of what had happened, and as far as he was concerned the whole matter had been his fault. That was why he had sat to the side with Ori until the first sign of him coming around. He was certain Ori would have passed out again were Dwalin sitting right there beside him after that had occurred. So consumed in his thoughts was he that he wasn’t hearing the majority of the conversation between Thorin, Bilbo, and Gandalf concerning this place they were supposedly going to be staying in overnight. How was Dwalin supposed to make it up to Ori? How was he supposed to just go up to him and explain that he was sorry for staring at his body like he was ready to jump him like an animal in heat? Thorin had taken note of the way Dwalin was not paying attention – mostly because Dwalin was always rather focused and in the moment. Thorin put a hand on Dwalin’s arm and stared at him. “Whatever it is, do not fret over it now…” He said quietly. “We’re stopping anyway.” He added on and called for the company to stop there. It was there that Gandalf explained to them that they could only enter the home they were staying at in pairs of two. It made little sense to most of the company, but Gandalf had expected such anyway.

Dwalin couldn’t complain – after all, everything had worked out. They were now all inside Beorn’s home and each of them had been rather impressed by it. All of the dwarves, save for Bombur of course, were full after enjoying a good meal. At this point the sleeping arrangements were being set up for the night, and despite their short day the dwarves were all ready to have a good night’s rest. Dwalin was looking forward to having a chance to be left to his thoughts. He had been trying all day to think of something that would make it up to Ori, and so far nothing had come to mind. He was currently seated at the table, and while everyone was picking their rooms he was just resting his head in his hand. There was one empty room left, and he assumed that he would take it when he was ready to head to bed. He leaned back in his seat and looked around. The room had emptied out and he was searching for some kind of inspiration – something to give him an idea. Nothing came to mind. He heaved a sigh, only becoming more frustrated. Maybe he needed to just sleep on it – for all he knew he might have some epiphany in the middle of the night. He got up from the chair and headed down the hall to the room. He knew Balin would understand if he took a room to himself that night rather than share.

Ori had calmed down over the course of the afternoon and evening. He always enjoyed dinners – if there was ever a time he knew he fit in, it was when they were all eating and having a good time. It had still felt a bit awkward, but nonetheless it had helped. What helped more was spending time in Beorn’s garden. It was lovely, and he much enjoyed getting to draw some of the beauty within it in his book. He was currently in the room he had chosen, and was standing at the basin trying to wash the ink from his fingers. It never quite worked out, and at the end of the day he always had some manner of ink left somewhere on him. It didn’t hurt to try though, and the feeling of the water on his hands calmed him a bit. He wore only his pants, and the rest of his clothing was neatly folded and placed aside the bedding in the room. Dori had near thrown a fit about Ori staying by himself in a room when he was ‘in this state’ (as Dori had put it), but thankfully Nori had stepped in once more. Ori was the only one with a room to himself. He felt a bit selfish, but it was rare that he put himself first. Surely this one time wouldn’t hurt.

Ori’s hands slid into the basin and cupped together to hold some water. He stared into his reflection a moment, and then he leaned down and splashed his face. He took a deep breath and stood there in silence. After picking up the cloth beside the basin he dried his face, only to hear the door open behind him. “Dori… I appreciate it, but I’m fine. I promi-” he cut himself off as he turned to see Dwalin standing at the door. His stomach dropped – it was almost like an exact replay of what had happened at the river, except this time he was able to get himself to speak. “Mister Dwalin…” Ori near squeaked out. He held the cloth tightly in his hands whilst absent-mindedly wringing it back and forth.

Dwalin swore that he was going to be the only one in that room, and yet here they were. “Ori… I can go. I just thought that no one was staying here.” Ori didn’t say anything, but he shook his head. Maybe this was Dwalin’s chance to explain himself – to apologize. He shut the door and did his absolute best to keep his eyes on Ori’s face. He strode over to him quietly. There was space between them, but Dwalin did not leave more than a foot. He wanted Ori to see that he was sincere in his words. “About earlier.” He started off, only to have Ori cut in. “I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to be staring, I wasn’t trying to look at anything, I just… I-” Dwalin placed a hand on Ori’s shoulder in an attempt to silently signify that he could stop. Ori was trembling, and his face was bright red. Dwalin could easily see the panic that he was feeling, and the last thing he wanted was for him to pass out again. “Staring?” Dwalin repeated in question. Ori hadn’t been staring at all, he just happened to look over right as Dwalin moved his eyes from his face – right? Dwalin kept his hand on Ori’s shoulder while wearing a most perplexed expression. If Ori was staring at him, then there must be some mutual attraction. If not then he wasn’t sure what other explanation there was.

“Yes, I didn’t mean to look at you like that so long…” Ori looked ready to continue his babbling, but he didn’t get the chance to. Dwalin had grabbed his chin with his other hand and tilted it up before pressing a kiss to Ori’s lips. Gods they tasted so much better than he ever thought. He breathed out deeply through his nose, but made no move to pull back. He didn’t know what he was doing, but he knew why. Whether it was only physical or also emotional, obviously Ori had some attraction to him. Knowing that now made it impossible to just stand there and look at him – to stand there and pretend he didn’t want to just grab him and make his needs and wants clear.

The moment felt like it took forever to process for Ori. It was as if it wasn’t happening, but it had to be. His hands were trembling, but slowly they reached up and rested flatly against Dwalin’s chest. He leaned up and into the kiss. The feeling of dread was gone, and instead there was a feeling in him that he almost couldn’t describe. Dwalin’s tongue pressed at Ori’s lips in a request for entrance, and Ori did not deny him that. Ori let Dwalin slide his tongue over his. It felt wonderful. It felt right. Dwalin’s hand slid from Ori’s shoulder and down his side until it rested at his hip. He ran his thumb over the exposed skin before toying with the rim of his pants. Dwalin had wanted this long enough that the kiss alone was enough to stir his loins, and already he felt his cock hardening. He was certain still that Ori did not feel the same way for him, but clearly he wasn’t opposed to the attention as the kiss was being returned. He pulled back from the kiss for a moment and stared down at Ori in order to gauge his reaction. Ori’s cheeks were red, and the way his eyes searched Dwalin’s features made it clear that he was flustered but enjoying this. Ori slid his hands down Dwalin’s chest before resting them on his hips as well – it was a silent yes.

That was all the confirmation that Dwalin was going to wait for. If Ori asked him to stop then he would, but as far as he was concerned all signs pointed to yes. He tugged at Ori’s pants until the smaller dwarf stepped out of them. He stood back a moment in silence. Already he had seen Ori earlier, but this was a true chance to look him over. There were spots of freckles everywhere, and he truly did want to take the time to count each one. However, the way his cock pressed hard against his pants was telling him that would have to wait until later. Dwalin stepped forward and firmly grabbed Ori. He walked him back to the bed before pushing him onto it. His own pants came off next, which was more than a relief for him.

Ori stared from the bed. His heart was pounding against his chest and his face was red, but he didn’t tell Dwalin to stop – he couldn’t. Every bit of logic told him that this was all physical. Dwalin was in need of a fuck and Ori happened to be there. It was all happening fast, and he didn’t know if he was even ready to just have sex for the first time right then and there in a stranger’s home. Regardless of his worries his eyes were fixed on Dwalin. There was so much to look at between all of the scars and tattoos… And of course there was his large, thick cock right there which very easily drew Ori’s attention. Was that even going to fit? He started feeling light headed again, but he couldn’t let that get to him. He took a deep breath when Dwalin crawled onto the bed. This was it. He was going to have sex with the dwarf he’d pined over since he was of an age to care about that sort of thing.

Dwalin’s hands grasped Ori’s legs and pushed them apart. Every move he made was firm and strong, yet gentle enough not to hurt Ori. He was going to have to make do without any oils, but that was fine. He leaned in-between Ori’s legs and spread them further. He licked two of his fingers and took the time to get them well coated before tracing Ori’s entrance. Ori flinched at the touch and let out a sort of squeak, but he made no attempt to tell him to stop. He was tensing and trembling, which would have been fine except that Dwalin knew that would not make it feel any better. “Relax… It’s goin’ to be uncomfortable, but you’ll get used to it.” Dwalin didn’t mean to sound so curt with his words, but he didn’t know how to sugar coat it. Instead he pushed one of the saliva-coated fingers into Ori and felt the younger Dwarf tense around him. He worked at his entrance and very slowly got a second finger in over time. He ignored his aching cock as he took the time to get Ori as stretched out as he could, which got harder and harder with each little whimper and gasp that Ori made. Dwalin pulled his fingers out and paused a moment. He leaned in, and gave a slow lick over the dwarf’s entrance that elicited quite the gasp from Ori. That was enough, or at least he hoped that it was. Dwalin lifted his head and leaned over Ori and before Ori knew it Dwalin was kissing him again. It was rough but not hurtful, and it distracted him while Dwalin positioned himself.

Ori’s whole face was flushed and he knew it, but the kissing did serve to calm his nerves. He was returning it, and could feel that his heart was no longer pounding rapidly against his chest. This was it – he was losing his virginity to the person he thought would never think twice about screwing him. That was when he felt Dwalin begin to push into him, which caused Dwalin to break the kiss. Ori bit his lip tightly, only to release it as he let out a groan of discomfort. It did feel uncomfortable, and as Dwalin slowly inched his way in further he hissed in pain from the stretching. Ori wrapped his arms around Dwalin and held onto him tightly. His nails dug into Dwalin’s expansive back in hopes of alleviating some of the pain he felt. Dwalin didn’t stop moving until he was fully sheathed within Ori’s tight heat, and once inside he paused to allow Ori to get used to it. It felt amazing, it felt just right… But he knew that he had to stop himself from simply pounding into Ori and fucking him senseless. He ignored the nails digging into his back – if it made it better then that was fine. Dwalin reached between them and grasped Ori’s cock in his hand. Ori was larger than he thought he would have been, and that was a pleasant surprise. He held Ori’s cock firmly, and so with each movement into him Ori was able to feel the friction of Dwalin’s rough hand around his length.

Ori had thought of this multiple times, in fact it was usually what he thought of when he was pleasuring himself… But right now he didn’t have to worry about that. Right now he could just focus on feeling Dwalin’s skin slap against his. Ori scratched down Dwalin’s back while Dwalin began a steady pace. He could feel the sweat on his skin, and above all he could smell him. He breathed deep as he moaned – he loved the scent of Dwalin’s musk coupled with the sounds of the grunts and groans that came out of him with each thrust of his hips. As he grew more used to it Ori began to move his hips with Dwalin. His breathing grew faster while he thrust into Dwalin’s hand. His cock was slick with pre-cum, and made Dwalin’s hand slide more easily along it. Dwalin had picked up the pace quite a bit, and when Ori suddenly bucked and gasped beneath him he knew he had found what he was looking for. He rocked his hips in a steady rhythm while the sounds of their skin meeting filled the room. Ori felt amazing – his hole was so tight around Dwalin’s dick and the heat within drove him mad. Ori’s eyes were half-lidded as he tilted his head back and bucked his hips against Dwalin. Whatever Dwalin hit before he was now hitting each time, and it was driving Ori mad. The bed creaked beneath them, but Ori didn’t concern himself with anyone hearing. He was far too consumed in his own pleasure to care about that. “I… I think…” Ori gasped out, but didn’t finish his words as his body shuddered and bucked against Dwalin. He came all over Dwalin’s hand, but something told him Dwalin didn’t mind it. Dwalin moved his hand from Ori’s cock and grabbed his hips in order to slam in a few more thrusts before reaching his own climax. He bit his lip tightly and held his breath, then released it in a low groan of Ori’s name as he felt himself finish inside of him. He had meant to pull out, but his body hadn’t allowed him to. Dwalin slid out of Ori and rolled off of him. He laid beside him and closed his eyes. His chest rose and fell as he caught his breath, and then he felt Ori’s arms wrapping around him. He didn’t open his eyes, but he put an arm around Ori and pulled him tightly against him so that he could hold him. There was no cleaning up for the night. Ori didn’t take long to pass out, and as tired as Dwalin was he waited and watched to make sure that Ori fell asleep peacefully for the night before letting himself drift into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously did some tweaking with bits of the story. Apologies for my poor skills in pornography. A bit longer than intended, but I really didn't want to have a chapter that started and ended with said poor pornography.


	4. Good Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After waking, Dwalin and Ori are left to their thoughts and concerns about the night before. However, neither of them seem to be able to voice those concerns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the length of time this chapter took to put out! Finals are coming up and I've been pretty busy, but here it is!

Everything was sore – but it was a good sore. Ori’s body ached in a way that he hadn't felt before, and that was okay. He shifted and rubbed his eyes, and then stopped when he realized what it meant. Panic sank in first. 

Ori was naked. Not only was he naked, but he was in bed with someone else naked. He held his breath for a moment, and then let it out slowly as he steadied himself. He looked down to Dwalin, and then he smiled. It was amazing how quickly the fear and worry washed away when he saw him. There were so many things to see. Numerous tattoos and numerous scars – Ori did not know if it were possible to count everything. He smiled to himself and felt his cheeks heat up as he reached over and let a hand trace over one of the designs inked onto Dwalin’s skin. A small giggle left him. He loved it.

Ori leaned over and grabbed his sketchbook. He looked through it and stopped at the page where he had sketched Dwalin before. He ran his hands over it and smiled. He looked back to Dwalin, and after a few moments he was on the next page. Ori didn’t notice the passing of time as he sketched, and he was fine with that. His hands were covered with charcoal by the time he was done, but that was alright. He smiled and set his sketchbook aside before leaning back against the bed. He closed his eyes for a moment. He knew that he had to think about this. What was last night anyway? He glanced over to Dwalin, only to jump when he saw he was staring at him. “G-Good morning…” Ori stuttered out, and immediately he felt as if the situation had been compounded. He no longer had the time to sit there and try to figure out if he was a convenient fuck or if this was something serious. He certainly wasn’t going to just ask either.

Ori was simply too adorable for words. Dwalin had known it for some time, but it never failed to amaze him each time he saw him get flustered. He liked the way his freckles stood out against the flush of his cheeks, and that was only one thing among many. Right now wasn’t the time to sit there and admire him though – after all, he had done enough peeking at him while the younger dwarf had been sitting there sketching him. Of course, that was something that Ori didn’t need to know about. “Morning…” Dwalin slowly sat up and felt his joints popping. He let out a sigh – it felt good. He hadn’t woken up feeling like this in some time. He looked Ori over for a moment. The worry Ori felt was visible in his eyes. That in itself made Dwalin worry. What if Ori hadn’t really wanted it? It was surely possible that he had been too scared to say no to him. Dwalin tried not to frown at the thought of it. He couldn’t bear to think of having goaded Ori into any of this. “How… are you feelin’?” Dwalin asked in hopes of breaking the rather odd silence that had settled upon them.

Ori shifted in place, and then looked down to his lap. Suddenly he felt quite sheepish. Inwardly he was cursing himself for it. “I am a bit sore… I think I will be fine though.” He did his best to steady his voice. He didn’t want Dwalin to get the wrong idea, but then again he didn’t even know what he himself was really thinking at the moment. Everything was all jumbled up – and not a single bit of it was making any sense. He furrowed his brow in thought, but then looked back to Dwalin. He figured it wouldn’t help to just not look at him as if he were not there. “I think I should be able to get breakfast just fine. I don’t want Dori missing me at the table, and… If he does then he might get worried, and if he gets worried then he’ll start asking questions.” Ori rambled on for a moment or so until Dwalin put a hand on his shoulder in order to silence him. “I’ll be takin’ care of that, laddie…” Dwalin said as he stood from the bed. He stretched once more in order to make sure that he had all of his kinks out, and then he looked at Ori over his shoulder. “If they’re at the table no one will see me leavin’ the room. I’ll get you a plate. If he doesn’t understand that you need rest after havin’ gone and fainted then I’ll make sure that he understands. And no, you can’t argue with me about it.” Dwalin’s tone brooked no argument. He got himself dressed after making sure that he was clean enough to leave the room. All he heard from Ori was a sort of whimper-like sound that must have been some kind of agreement.

Ori watched as Dwalin strode out of the room. He frowned to himself and looked down before taking a deep breath. “It’ll be fine…” He told himself quietly. He slid to the edge of the bed. He wanted to get up. He didn’t mind Dwalin’s help, but he didn’t want to be treated like some invalid either. He stood and stretched. It wasn’t half as bad as he had thought. Dwalin was certainly rougher on him than he expected though. A wide smile spread on his face and he couldn’t stop a small giggle from escaping his lips. With all doubts aside – Ori was happy. He was proud of himself even. He had never thought that he would be able to just do that. He felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He didn’t know if Dwalin enjoyed it, or if this was anything that would last like he wanted it to; but, what he did know was that he didn’t regret a moment of it. He picked his shirt up and pulled it on. He looked down at himself and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He smiled to himself, and then let himself fall back against the bed. He didn’t bother with his pants. If he was going to stay in the bed for most of or all of the day, then he was going to enjoy himself and be comfortable. Ori rolled over and hugged one of the pillows. He took a deep breath, and then a small laugh left him. “I can’t believe it.” He said to himself quietly. 

Dwalin knew everyone was at breakfast before reaching the dining room. He could hear the commotion and the fun that everyone was having. It was nice to see everyone doing so well after all they had been though. He wasn’t going to kid himself, but there was a part of him that hoped that they were past most of the dangers that they would face during their journey. He greeted everyone and took a seat near Thorin and his brother. He smiled at them, then pulled over two plates. He ignored the raised brow from Thorin while he piled food onto both. “Ori asked me to bring ‘im some… I suppose he’s still feelin’ a bit off.” Dwalin shrugged his shoulders and ignored the unsettlingly knowing look that his brother gave him. Most times he didn’t mind it, but right now he wanted to wipe it off his face. “Rather nice of you to take care of him… But I suppose it’s better than Dori coddling him.” Thorin stated as he pulled over a roll. “Will you be eating there, then?” Thorin added on. “Aye. Wouldn’t feel right leavin’ him alone, you know.” Dwalin answered, and was relieved to see that Thorin nodded in agreement. 

Dwalin glanced about the table for a moment and then got up. He wasn’t going to give Dori the chance to catch him with the two plates. He walked out of the room casually, but made certain that he passed behind him rather than in front of him. He noticed Nori cast a glance his way, however he wasn’t worried about that. Dwalin carefully balanced the plates before opening the door to the room that he and Ori had shared the night before. He raised a brow when he saw Ori hugging the pillow. He let out a laugh as soon as Ori scrambled to sit up. It was too damned cute, that was for certain. He shut the door behind him and walked over to the bed. Ori’s state of dress was noticed quickly, and Dwalin couldn’t help but steal a glance or two over at his legs. He sat on the bed, then held out one of the plates. “There ya are.” 

Ori was a bit flustered after being caught hugging the pillow, but he didn’t let the feeling stick around. Instead he smiled and took the plate that was handed to him. Was Dwalin going to be eating with him? He hadn’t expected that. In fact he was certain that Dwalin would have eaten with everyone else. One thing was for certain – Ori wasn’t going to read into it. He was just going to go with the flow of things until they established their situation with each other. That just left the matter of when he would bring it up. He couldn’t bring himself to do so now, and so instead he sat there and ate. “Dori didn’t say anything, did he?” Ori asked after a moment or so of quiet. “No, I don’t think he was payin’ much attention to me. Nori looked at me, but didn’t say anything. I think it’s safe to say that he’s on your side.” Dwalin chuckled at the thought. “I think so.” Ori answered with a smile. “…How long do you think that we’ll get to stay here, Dwalin?” Ori looked to him.

“Well, that’s a good question.” Dwalin stated. It was a good question, really. While it would be nice to stay there for some time, the big issue was that there wasn’t time. They didn’t have all the time in the world to reach The Lonely Mountain. There was no telling what other interferences would occur along the way either. “One more night would be nice, but… We need to get going soon.” Dwalin answered. “I think you’re right.” Ori replied. “Would… you be alright with sharing the room, then?” Ori asked, his tone hesitant. It was as if he expected to be rebuked right away. Dwalin looked at him, and in truth he was almost hurt by the tone. “Of course.” Dwalin answered. He wanted it and then some, but what he didn’t want was to have the situation turn out opposite from what he wanted. After finishing his food he set his plate aside, and then turned to look at Ori. “What we did… Are you alright with that, Ori?”

“I am, yes.” Ori answered. He’d not sounded so certain about anything in some time. “I… Really enjoyed myself.” Ori toyed with one of his braids idly as he spoke. He wanted to say more. He wanted to ask the questions that had wracked his mind the whole morning. He wanted to tell Dwalin how long he’d admired him and how badly he had wanted this… But how? Dwalin would never seriously want an actual relationship with some book and slingshot wielding dwarf, right?


	5. Finding a Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After leaving Beorn's home, Ori and Dwalin reflect on how they can talk about what occurred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many apologies for how long this chapter took! Finals came to kick my ass on top of other RL issues.

Ori hadn’t wanted to leave Beorn’s home, and he had a good deal of reasons as to why. It was peaceful there, and everyone had been so happy. There was no danger biting at their heels at each turn, but most of all there was his time with Dwalin. To say Ori was bothered was an understatement. He wanted time to sort out the situation – to figure out where they stood and if this was something casual or not. Of course he wanted more than that, but he couldn’t just blurt it out. He heaved a sigh as he trudged along the path that the company was currently following. It was obvious something was on his mind. In fact it was especially obvious to a certain few people within the company. Nori had spent a good chunk of the day doing his absolute best to keep Dori from pestering Ori, but he knew that at some point Dori was going to go against any good judgment and pester Ori. Ori himself had gotten this feeling, and it was why he was keeping a distance by walking more so towards the middle of the group. Naturally this only caused more muttered complaints and concerns from Dori.

“I just don’t get it.” Dori huffed and shook his head. “He hasn’t talked to me in days, Nori. Well, he’s spoken to me but I can hardly call that a conversation. It’s not like him to be like this, and I dare say that it is awfully inconsiderate.” Nori made a face at the back of Dori’s head while he followed him, but nonetheless he forced himself to listen and reply in order to keep Dori from actually going to Ori. “I am sure there’s a reason for it. Stop assuming the worst and quit coddling him. He needs some space obviously, and when he needs to talk he’ll talk.”

“Oh of course. That’s quite easy for you to say, considering how often you were around.” Dori snapped. Clearly he was taking this all a bit too personally, and in turn Nori was having to do his best to put up with the biting remarks that Dori had been making all the while. Normally Nori wouldn’t have been so willing to just listen to those sorts of comments, but again he reminded himself that it was to take the attention away from Ori. “If that’s what makes you feel better, Dori. I don’t see how bringing that up helps… But I’m not going to argue.” Nori answered in a tired tone. They were all tired, really. It was their second day away from Beorn’s home, and already the change in environment was taking a toll on them all. Things felt ominous, to say the least. Nori wasn’t liking it, and he knew that he wasn’t the only one wanting to hurry up and get out already. 

“Do we know where we’re going, Thorin?” Dwalin asked as he strode alongside him. He didn’t get a response, and knew that was a resounding ‘no’. “Right…” Dwalin took a deep breath and pulled back a bit. Normally he wouldn’t let Thorin get away with it, but right now he was willing to give him the space. He glanced about the group to do his own little head count, and then paused when he saw Ori. Ori typically didn’t look like that. He didn’t like what he saw, actually. He frowned a bit to himself, and just as he was about to look away from him they made eye contact. Dwalin held his breath, but then offered a small nod to him before walking on. He slowed his pace, and in a small amount of time he was walking beside Ori. “Somethin’ wrong, laddie?”

Ori looked up at Dwalin when he spoke to him. It was nice to have him come alongside him. Since they left they hadn’t really spoken, and Ori was sincerely worried that he had done something wrong. If Dwalin was talking to him something had to have gone right out of all of this. “I just…” Ori paused. He wanted to just say what was bothering him – that he wanted for the two of them to have the time to talk about what happened. Before Ori could continue Dwalin gave him a pat on the shoulder. “I understand.” Dwalin answered. He could see it, and frankly he had been expecting that Ori wanted to talk. Dwalin was certain that Ori was uncomfortable, and that he felt taken advantage of. It hadn’t been very romantic, and it was definitely sudden. Dwalin wanted to apologize more than anything, but now wasn’t the place and it certainly wasn’t the time for it either. “Later we can talk.” Ori wasn’t all too pleased with the answer. Something about it was off. It was as if Dwalin was upset. His tone had changed quite a bit since he first came over only a moment ago, and now he sounded as I he were put off. Ori nodded his head in agreement, but said nothing as he looked down and frowned. Maybe he was wrong about his earlier guess that things were alright. “Right, when we get a chance… Not that I’m sure when that will be…” Ori half muttered. He wasn’t used to so freely speaking his thoughts in such a manner, but this was something that was important to him.

“Look, Ori… It won’t be long, I promise that. Right now isn’t the time though, and I don’t want you to have your brother up your arse trying to find out what’s goin’ on.” Dwalin didn’t mean to get blunt, but he was frustrated with all the feelings that he wasn’t used to having. It wasn’t that he wasn’t loving, but rather he wasn’t used to having to be confronted with these feelings. He took a deep breath, and just as he was about to speak Dori was right there. “Great.” He grunted, and more than anything he was angry with himself for drawing Dori’s attention.

“Now I don’t know what is going on right now, but I know that you’ve been hanging around Ori and the poor lad has been a mess! Whatever it is you’re doing needs to stop now because I will not have my brother bullied by some brute!” By the time Dori had finished Nori was there trying to pull him away, but was only swatted at. Nori looked at Ori and frowned. This wasn’t going to end well, and already much of the other company was tossing glances their way in curiosity over the bickering. “Bullied? Really now? Coming from the one who coddles him and doesn’t let him do a damned thing for himself when he’s perfectly capable? I don’t doubt that you care for your brother, but by Durin’s beard you need to back off and give the lad some space!” Dwalin’s voice had raised louder than he wanted, and at the moment he wasn’t paying attention to Ori.

“Space? He is my blood and I won’t have you telling me what I can and cannot do with my family!” Dori said back in a rather shrill tone. “I am not going to say it again. You need to b-” Before Dwalin could finish Ori cut I with an interruption of his own. “Will the both of you stop it?!” His tone was exasperated, and by the flush of red on his face it was clear that this had been building up over the duration of the argument. “I can take care of myself, I am no child! And yes, Dwalin, that goes for you as well! You’re telling Dori that I can take care of myself and yet you’re arguing for me without asking how I feel!” Ori didn’t give either of them the chance to respond, and instead he sped his pace and moved further up in the group. None of the company said anything to him or stopped him, but rather they all decided to act as if nothing had happened. Ori was thankful for it, because right at this moment he wanted to be alone. The only problem was he couldn’t. They were in the middle of who knows where as far as Mirkwood was concerned, and quite simply put he wasn’t going to let his anger get the better of him. He hadn’t wanted to snap. He truly hadn’t. He took a deep breath and tried to steady himself, but it didn’t help the blur in his eyes. He watched Kili and Fili’s feet ahead of him to make sure that he didn’t meander in the wrong direction. It worked, but it didn’t stop the few hot tears that ran down his cheeks.

Dwalin didn’t see the dirty look that Dori shot at him, and he didn’t hear the complaining that was coming from him either (not that it lasted long because Nori had quickly pulled him to the side in order to put a stop to it). There was a pit in Dwalin’s stomach that he wasn’t used to feeling. He did not like it one bit. He felt terrible, and he had no immediate means of making it better. He couldn’t just pull Ori to some other room to just make it better and explain, and even if it could it didn’t change that Ori was right and that Dwalin was in the wrong. He took a deep breath. He would fix it, or rather try. It was just a matter of when and where. It didn’t help either that it seemed as if they were never going to be getting out of this forsaken wood.


	6. Confessions in the Dungeon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One thing seems to be happening after another, but when sharing a cell with one another Dwalin finds it much easier to get things off his chest with Ori.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A thousand apologies for how long this update took!

Dwalin still hadn’t apologized to Ori. Then again – how was he supposed to pull Ori aside in-between being attacked by spiders and getting captured by elves?

It had all been one thing after another. Just as soon as Dwalin thought he was getting an opportunity to set things right was when the spiders came. Everyone had made it out fine, and that was a relief all in itself. Then came the issue of food. Everyone was near the point of starvation practically, and Dwalin knew that no one (particularly himself) would be in the mood for a serious conversation in a situation like that. Ori certainly hadn’t been giving him dirty looks, but he wasn’t coming up to him either. It concerned him, and when he found himself feeling like there was another chance that was dashed and they were captured by elves of all things. If anything even remotely good came out of this it was the fact that Dwalin and Ori ended up sharing a cell together. Dwalin wasn’t sure how that happened – or rather, he knew how but he hadn’t expected it to work.

When they were being taken down he had grabbed Ori and made sure he was nearby. He wasn’t sure how many dwarves would be in a cell each, but he gambled that the elves wouldn’t care about arrangements and that if Ori was with him then he would share a cell with him. Now Dwalin found himself having a front row seat to see just how miserable Ori was feeling. The poor lad looked like he wanted to curl up and just sleep the rest of their imprisonment away, but Dwalin knew that he wouldn’t actually do that. Dwalin was currently sitting against the wall on the left side of their cell, and was quite displeased to not have all his fixings with him. He stared at his bare hands and grimaced. Was it necessary to take the knuckle dusters from him?

The cell really wasn’t all that bad, and from what it seemed they were going to be treated rather well as far as prisoners were concerned. Still, it didn’t change the fact that they were prisoners in the first place. Neither did it change that they were prisoners of elves, of all things. Dwalin leaned back against the call and let out a sigh, and then silenced himself when he looked back to Ori. He didn’t like the way that he was all scrunched up against the wall. Something told him that this was going to be their only chance to talk for quite some time if things continued the way that they had been going. The cell remained quiet for a moment, but after a couple more minutes Dwalin broke the silence by clearing his throat. “Ori…” He started, and watched to see if the younger dwarf was even going to look at him.

Ori lifted his head from where it had been resting against his knees. He watched Dwalin for a moment, and then rested his cheek against his knees. He faced him, but didn’t make eye contact. “Yes?” Ori murmured almost inaudibly.

Well, that wasn’t the best of responses. Dwalin took a deep breath. He was used to being able to speak his mind and not have any issues with it. Instead the words caught in his throat and that pit in his stomach started to return. “I… I am sorry, Ori. I shouldn’t have acted like that with you or your brother. You don’t need me to fight your battles for you.” Dwalin hoped that was a good start, and he hoped that Ori would hear the sincerity and humiliation in his tone. Dwalin wasn’t the sort to make a fool of himself, but at least he acknowledged it when he did. “I should have at least asked you. That… still would have been offensive, but it would have been better than just assuming it would be fine. I just got so… angry. I don’t like seeing that happen to you.” Dwalin dropped his head to rest against his hand as he rubbed the top of it. This wasn’t going anywhere. He was sure of it.

“Dwalin…” Ori was beside him. While Dwalin had been pouring himself out Ori had been scooting closer to him. Ori wasn’t going to act like it never happened. It wasn’t something that could just be dismissed, but that didn’t mean that Ori couldn’t forgive. He also knew from the humbled tone that Dwalin spoke in that he was embarrassed for acting such a way. If any punishment was necessary – well, that had been it. Ori placed his hand on Dwalin’s forearm and gave it a small pat. “I’m not mad at you. Thank you, really. Your apology is accepted, but don’t do it again. I know you don’t like it when Dori pesters me like that, but it is my job to step up and tell him to stop.” Ori let out a small sigh, but then seemed to relax more when Dwalin lifted his head to look at him. That was what he wanted to see. “Now that we’re done with that, we still need to talk about something… Um… else.” Ori cleared his throat as he felt his cheeks heat up just from mentioning it. “Y-You know… What we did.”

Dwalin knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop himself from letting out a low chuckle. “You mean sex, Ori?” He stated gruffly, only to hear a sort of sound of agreement as Ori’s reply. “I want to clear it up…” Dwalin kept his voice somewhat low. He wasn’t sure who was divided up into what cell, and knowing his luck Dori would be in the cell beside them listening to every damn word. He almost groaned at the mere thought of it. “I don’t know about you, but for me that wasn’t just some… thing.” He started out, figuring he should make it clear right up front that it wasn’t a matter of convenience. “If you’ll have me…” Dwalin’s cheeks just barely flushed – it was almost unable to be seen. “I would like to continue what we have.”

There was no way that Ori had expected that. Ori had thought in all sincerity that he was a matter of convenience, and that if anyone else had been in that room they would have been the one to have slept with Dwalin. Ori wasn’t sure how he wanted to respond to that at first, and so for a moment or so he was silent in simply thinking of what he wanted to say. He took a deep breath. “I’d love that, Dwalin.” Ori responded as he looked at him, his own cheeks quite red in color at the moment. “I… Was worried, you know. I thought that you just, or rather – I just happened to be the one who was there. That it had nothing to do with me, you know?” Ori could see on Dwalin’s face that he felt terrible that it had come across like that. “Please, don’t feel bad. I could have just as easily asked, and I shouldn’t have assumed either.” Ori stated, not wanting Dwalin to spend any time thinking ill of himself on the matter. When Ori was able to see that Dwalin was visibly relaxing, he too was able to relax his nerves as well. “Much better.” Ori smiled brightly at him – or as brightly as he could given their situation. “But I still mean what I said earlier. I don’t need someone else to speak for me, or fight for me.” He said with a tone that brooked no argument – but only because Dwalin thought it was rather cute.

“Aye, there’ll be none o’ that.” Having Ori mad at him once had been enough. He never thought Ori to be the sort who could hold out a silent treatment that long, but obviously he had been wrong. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on it though. Everything was well and mended, and with that being the case it meant that thinking back on something that had already occurred would only hurt rather than help.

“Good.” Ori said resolutely before he scooted closer to close the distance that had been between them. He looked over Dwalin for a moment in silence, and then he leaned in and placed a hand on his cheek. “Because… I’ve been wanting to do this.” Ori leaned in and pressed his lips to Dwalin’s gently.


End file.
